3 days in Orlando, a 30 minute flight to Miami and then another 45 min flight to Eleuthera, landing at the North Eleuthera airport, a 10 minute pass thru customs, passport stamped, we grabbed a taxi van, for our 15 minute ride to the resort (35.00 fare) After much anticipation and what seemed like a long journey we finally reached our final destination, The Cove Resort, we were greeted by the actual owners managing and living on property, husband and wife Kirk and Patty. Patty checked us in, we discussed our meal plan options and then she showed us to our 2 bedroom suite, the Bleu Vista, (just a short walk from the main building which housed the reception, gift shop and restaurant on property)

Our room was bigger than expected, clean white walls, white ceramic tile, bahamian island style furnishings and some familiar ikea fixtures and accessories (I'm assuming from Miami, just a 45 min flight away), tropical paintings, seaside accents of shells, starfish, even an actual tortoise shell on a wall. The bathrooms were modern, double pedestal sinks, large showers with block glass, all the luxuries offered in any hotel room were in place, towels, accoutrements, embroidered waffle robes. What was not there were a tv or phone. ahhhh

The most important thing that I was there for was yet to be seen... yes our room came with an ocean view and it's own deck and what a view! The resorts very own private bay/cove (just like their website showed, only better!) WOW!

Snorkel gear in hand... time to explore... a cute stone path layed out from our room to the sand. Palm umbrellas with lounger chairs in pairs lay along the beige sand. No one around. PERFECT! All that was there was a boat dock and the beautiful blue bay. I waded into the water, snorkel mask on (the resort offers snorkel gear for your use, inclusive to your stay) ahhhh I spotted a redish starfish, that was a first for me. Not a whole lot of fish, but perfect water temperature, clear... I'de found heaven once again.

*Travel tip: If you're a snorkeler, you may prefer your own equipment even if resorts and tour company's offer up equipment. I have found some pretty tired and cheap masks on my travels which take away from my experience (not the case here at the Cove) so I've found that it's nice to bring my own mask/snorkel along and just borrow the fins, easier on luggage space.

Me being beyond exhausted with little to no sleep the past 3 days, soaking what I could in, yet reserved and ready to shut off, I hit the hay, in hopes of catching some zzzzzz... meanwhile Jeff, my energizer bunny fueled and rarin' to go, set out to socialize... a few hours out he came back with a plate of fish-n-chips and stories of the bar tender he met, Wallace Sands and how he liked Sands beer, (his grandfather made it, not really) and how this group of LA peeps, on a boat excursion visiting the bays on eleuthera, stopping in at the Coves bar, intoxicated with hilarious antics, one was a hairdresser, owned a salon in Beverly Hills and they were staying on Harbour Island, we might meet up later.

Wallace had invited us out to a jazz club that evening, so I pulled some energy out of myself and got ready, thinking it was 9:00p. We walked over to the restaurant and everything was dark, not a sole around, being unfamiliar with the grounds we huddled close to one another as we made our way back to our room, we jumped at a plant that rubbed against us, spooky... turns out it was 11:00pLights out!

Day 2We rented a car, with the intent to explore the island. Our resort being located in the northern part of the Island in Gegory Town we came to the conclusion that we could only do a 1/2 island trip in one day. The rental cars run a flat rate of 70.00 per day (sunrise to sunrise) There are no Hertz, Avis and the like, just the locals who will rent you their personal car or a family members. No license to check, no contracts to sign. After scoping out the map we decided we would venture out to the far most southerly point of the island driving the entire island until we reached the end. We were told by the owners that the Light House held the best beach on the island... SAY NO MORE!

BEACHES: We hit a few beaches along this 2 hour drive (1-way) Here's a link with info on all the beaches.

In the Bahamas the speedomoter is gaged in kilometers, you drive on the left side of the road and the steering wheel is on the rightside of the car, always a fun tasks, I am always thankful Jeff loves to drive. There is just one main road running straight through the center of Eleuthera, Queens Highway. (and there is practically no one on it) There are basically no signs to tell you what beach is where, just dirt roads that vere off to the right or left. With a book in hand, given to us by the resort owners we navigated our way along. The book was lacking 1 important thing... a basic map of the beaches. They had navigation points, but without a navigation device it was basically worthless to us. It just made it all that much more fun, if you ask me.

There are just way to many beaches to stop at, and nobody on them! It's just amazing. Granted we were there at the beginning of the slow season, but according to all that I read on the internet prior to my trip, you can find empty beaches all year round. Rainbow beach is just gorgeous, waste deep water, you can go pretty far out. There was only 1 woman in the entire bay. We floated and swam, I was amazed at the quietness and beauty of the bay. I tried to take some videos, but I can never figure out how not to capture the annoying sound of the wind in the mic. Next stop, the Ocean Hole, a large salt water swimming pool. They have a stone marquee and a nice set of stone steps down to the hole, and a metal ladder to get into the water. As soon as I peered over the edge to look in, fish began to come to the top, they seemed to be attracted to my sparkly camera and sunglasses. A cute little cow fish, nice sized, kept coming up for a peek, got some photos. Jeff braved his way onto the ladder with snorkel mask on and got some photos on the edge... but it was quite spooky, again there was no one around! I wish we would have seen a tortoise. I posted a [video] on my youtube channel of the Ocean Hole above water, you can see lots of other videos from other youtubers of beneath the water. Cupids Cay was the next stop, Jeff took some cool photos of an old Church and religious statuaries (we love that stuff!) Jesus by the Sea, while I got out of the car for a stretch and took photos of a bay. We continued onward to our final destination Light house beach.

The last stretch to get to Lighthouse beach is about a 20 minute dirt road run according to Patty. However, for us it felt like FOREVER. No signs, we only hoped we were on the right road. In our little car we bounced and scraped our way over rocks, dips, branches... Jeff kept keeping to the left, navigating his way over the bumps and dips. Breaking twigs and branches on the side of the car, leaving long scratches, from what I could see in my side mirror, YIKES!... my shoulder took some scrapes and splinters, I finally got smart and rolled up the window. I suggested Jeff close one eye, hoping it might help him straighten out, but he was just to stressed to listen to my constructive criticism. One dip way too many in our low-rider car, a loud thud-pop and I remarked, "I think we lost the oil pan on that one". We bantered back and forth over which way to navigate through with the least possible damage to the car, Jeff still favoring the left. Any other couple would have divorced over it. I worried what we would do if we popped a tire or got stuck, with no one knowing we were on that road and was it even the right road? Not a single car passed us going the other direction nor in our direction the entire time.

*Travel Tip Request a vehicle that is 4x4! (I swear we were the only ones that didn't have one)

Finally, we see a vehicle... and another... people... blue... Wow! Lighthouse beach was pretty awesome... a spread of white sand, caribbean blue clear water, some rockscapes, I was ready for a dip!... there were about 6 people in total there, Europeans I would guess based on there swim attire and shoes.Jeff ventured off around the rocks and returned with info, he had found the lighthouse and other little remote beaches... We had to do a lil hike and climb to get to them, but it was worth it! We reached the Light House itself and old wooden structure with windows to the sea. One step the wrong way and I almost fell into a hole in the wooden floor! We climbed down and onto a little cove beach and stayed there awhile, it was a small beach, pink sand, clear water, small waves rolling in. I swam and took photos. A little sea creature started to move in on me, I got out... then it moved back out and around the rocks, I guessed it was a stringray. We took lots of photos of the lighthouse, beaches, scenery and then decided we best be getting back, we had to repeat our drive on that ROAD! ugh. Again, Jeff favored the left side, my side!... what the hay... scrape, bump, bounce, scratch.. we were so happy to see the main road again.

The drive back was faster we only made one stop, at a gas station/grocery store for fuel human and auto. Our battery died! (Jeff left the lights on, it was only 5:00p) The people on Eleuthera are very nice and friendly. In no time we were being helped by some fine looking young men and a woman even got on her cell, everyone knows everyone, she knew who to call, Mr. Johnson, we didn't even know who we got the car from! We gave the boys a 5 spot and asked where we could buy some beer, they told us to follow them, we did, to Roys or Ronnies a pool hall/bar, then back to the resort. Big mistake, I mowed on peanut butter, a ginormous bag of cheesy puffs, a box of cheeze its etc for 2 days solid! Not good for bikini photos in the upcoming days.

Day 3Well what do you do when you are on an island and the weather shows signs of a storm a brewin'?... We decided to check out the other bay with the beach, do some snorkeling and kayaking ... the Cove Resort also offers up a kayak and gear, inclusive with your stay, the life jackets looked new! I love that, cause who wants to look shappy in faded worn jackets in photos?... not me! This side had the palm umbrellas and white loungers as well. Also there were 2 hammocks, a fire pit and stone bar structure. Getting into the water it is best to go to the left side facing the water, because the beach has rocks, shells and marine grasses, that side had a cleared area, and that is the side where the kayak sits. I cracked my can of Gumba I bought at the grocery store the day before. Sugar juice!

*Travel tip: Bring a pair of water shoes

Lunch first, we went to eat out by the pool, what VIEWS!!!Angie was there working today, we sat outside, the deck all to ourselves! I enjoyed THE best turkey sandwich, they make the bread fresh daily! a very fresh side salad, comes with it. French flaire? Jeff had a yummy burger. Very satisfying.

We played on the beach for awhile, kayaked over to the neighboring bay on the right (blue grotto). Next, it was time for a bike ride... we were in search of tortoises!

(Patty had told us that she and her boys had seen some tortoise tracks on a beach the day before and that they cleared them away, for fear of the locals eating the eggs. ... OPPORTUNITY!!!)

We got our huffy bikes from a selection available to us via Kirk (the bikes are inclusive with your stay at the Resort) and the quick instructions on how to find the beach, it went something like this..."End of the driveway, turn left, brown building, path between 2 salt ponds, up and down a couple of little hills"

Little hills?... hah! Sweating and panting we came across 2 dogs (one part pitbull), they jumped out from a tractor barking. Terrified and stiff, I allowed them to sniff me, luckily I had been eating cheesy puffs that morning and had some under my nails, instant friends... we continued onward to climb the mountains of red clay. The dogs seemed as though they were guarding us, they would run along side, in front and every so often jet off into the forestry on the sides of our path, to check something out. I felt safe.

An hour later we never did get down to the beach with the tortoises. All we saw were more mountains, sheer cliffs to the Atlantic side of the island and fields of leg cutting palm grass. Okay, we give up! You would think the hard part was going up the hills, but it was just as hard going down... foot brakes barely slowing, if you slow to much you slip in the clay and rocks, I thought I was gonna eat it a few times and opted to walk the bike, DOWN the hills, yep.

At one point I spotted a cat in the distance and made the mistake of voicing, kitty-kitty... the dogs tore after the cat... OMG, the horror that ran through my mind, did I just kill a cat? (happy to say, the cat got away, the pitbull mix had some blood on his eye from a scratch)

The dogs began to follow us back to the resort, only they would walk in the middle of the road, the locals driving cars could care less they would just push up on the dogs standing in the street with the bumpers of the cars, Jeff was so freaked out! I just rode fast, trying to lose them. They followed us up the resort driveway as Patty was coming down in her truck... we briefly explained our predicament as she exclaimed, one of them is Pitbull, my reply, I KNOW! She tried to whoosh them back down the entry, so we could make an escape, as the rain began to downpour on us, we were foiled again, here come the dogs. Only after entering our villa, sliding door closed did they begin to leave. I could only invision them wandering the property for food, scaring the other guests. Oh the guilt.

More tropical rain and a lil wind perfect time for some BLOGGING! We chatted with Kirk a bit out on our deck, he told us stories about Hurricanes he had encountered while living on islands in the Caribbean, one involved a goat flying through the air! It was nice to know that the Cove Resort is the only place with a back up generator on the island, so you are ensured to have water and power for cooking, airco etc. I could sleep well tonight.

Jeff decided to go sit on the beach under an umbrella and enjoy the rest of the day.

For dinner we shared a steak dinner from the restaurant in our room, HUGE steak with a side of veggies. Delicious.

Day 4 BEACH DAY!

Snorkeling and kayaking, we set out to check out the neighboring coves, the one was so similar to the Blue Grotto in Capri, Italy, I wanted to swim in it, maybe tomorrow. There was a German couple we had seen a few times, they were snorkeling, we took some photos of them and offered to email them, they were very happy and gave us their info.

On the way back from the beach we ran into Wallace at the bar window, I was hoping to get another one of those amazing sandwiches for lunch, we were to late, missed it by 5 minutes! We talked about going out with him to Elvinas, once again (a popular hangout for Leny Kravitz and other musicians and celebs that have a vacation home on the island) Tuesdays and Fridays they have open mic.

That evening we went to the bar to hang out with Wallace and ran into the german couple, we shared kind conversation and some Bahama Mama's, discussed all going out together, once Wallace got off work, that would be 10:00p with plans to stay out till 2:00a the normal time for the locals to play. Wallace said he was going to sing... (Wallace always says he's going to sing) The Germans bowed out so the three of us made our way to Wallaces van.

On the drive over, Wallace shared with us info about the island, pointed out Lenny Kravitz and his daughters houses (someone was currently there, car lights in the driveway) he also told us the news that there was a funeral going on, he pointed over at this large gathering of people and explained how they would be up all night till the morning socializing, drinking etc. it was a wake, the funeral would be the following day.

We arrived at Elvinas, Wallace told us that he would leave his keys in the van and that we could drive back to the resort if we wanted to leave earlier than 2:00a. Elvinas is a cute little place, outdoor patio, with white decorative and colorful lights, very inviting. As we entered there was a small stage to the center, musician playing, a bar to the left and 5-6 round tables. One table had 6 other tourists, who knew Wallace, so we joined them, they were from Florida, another table had a family with a young boy, and another sat the owner. For dinner we had the Grouper fingers, slaw, brown rice & beans, some Sands beers, really good. Small groups of people came in and out for well drinks, dinner, dancing and just messin' around. There were some pretty interesting characters in there. Quite entertaining. One guy was so drunk, he was dancing around all funny, almost doing the splits, gettin' in my bubble, he eventually ended up falling into the band and then getting thrown out. Another older guy, cute as can be was dancing with all the ladies, all up in my bubble as well, workin' me for a spin on the dance floor. The Florida women each took a turn, I didn't cave! (kinda regret it now) Got video and pics :) We called it a night at 12:00a and headed back for our big day on Harbour Island.

Day 4 Day-trip to Harbour IslandOur main reason for going to Harbor Island is to see the famous "Model tree" and do a quick photo shoot of sorts. {see slide show below}

To get to Dunmore town, Harbour Isd, we had to rent a car (drive is approx 15 minutes from the hotel), water taxi, it's just a quick 5 minute boat ride. ($5 pp one-way). Once there you can choose to explore the island by foot or rent a golf cart

* Travel tip: you can book through the golf cart company in the paper ads, but it's cheaper to just pick one up at the dock for 40.00 per day. (thankful that Kirk was around to shared this info with us)

We were 2 hours behind on the start of our day waiting for our rental car to arrive, island time. Oh and wouldn't you know it, we got the same rental car, yep, from Mr. Johnson. The grey one with all the scratches on the left side. It had been detailed and waxed. He didn't even ask us about it, in fact all he asked was what happened with the battery. (whew, I got a little sweaty there for a second)

The day started out sunny and beautiful, my hair done, makeup on pre-ready for pics at the model tree... by the time we drove to the 15 minutes to the water taxi, the weather had turned on us. Sprinkles and light showers, grey sky, we waited under a covered area for the taxi to appear out of the mist, at a table were some locals playing dominos, they take there dominos, very seriously! By the time we boarded the water taxi, the rain was building up momentum, I was damp to say the least, so much for doing my hair! We docked and walked over to a group of locals hanging out and ask about a golf cart, one guy came over ask how long we wanted it for and then then told us the price of 40.00. By the time we sat in the cart so began the rain down pour. There we were wondering if we had made a mistake, I was wondering if we should just get back on the water taxi. Nope. We waited it out (knowing that tropical storms can come and go in a flash) Onward ho... windshield flapping, bang bang bang. beach towels wrapped around us... we splashed up and down and round streets navigating our way along. At certain angles the rain would drench my right side, we passed people sitting in their golf carts waiting out the storm. Eventually the sun began to appear again.

While carting around we ran into this cute little bistro looking place and decided to stop for lunch, Sip-Sip is the name, a bit expensive 22.00 for a burger, but what a burger, stuffed with blue-cheese! I had the Ahi parmesian dip with pita bread, a bit spicy and we shared a drink. Beautiful view of the caribbean.

We hopped back onto the golf cart for another run around the streets, and landed at Valentines Marina, (by the way Harbour Isd is home to Billionaires, the rich and famous, Bill Gates, Elle Macpherson, sports team owners and the like.) We decided to stop and have a drink, enjoying the views of the port, yachts and take in the atmosphere, the sun was out and shining beautifully. We ran into some of the people from LA, they invited us to their table, boy did they have a spread, ribs, seasoned fries, salads and more (they compared it to Claim Jumer in the portions) More of their group arrived and joined us, we shared drinks, stories. We said our goodbyes, took a quick stroll through the dock admiring the yachs. Then back on the golf cart to cruise another lap around the island and then back to the water taxi to get home before dark. Back on Eleuthera along the way home we stopped at the Glass Window Bridge (this is the thinest point of the island where the Atlantic meets the Caribbean)

We were to tired to go with Wallace to the Festival that was taking place in Pometto point that evening.

We stopped at a local store for some beer and then headed to Elvinas to try some Pizza by Mel B. Chicken Ed (the owner of Elvinas, he once owned a chicken farm), from Louisiana was there hanging out so we chatted with him while the pizza was being made. There was a funeral that morning, we could hear fireworks popping off. Back to our suite and sleep.

Day 5Up and ready to do some photos, Fun with Feathers.

Beach time...

Dinner at the Cove Restaurant/bar, Wallace was there. On the menu was freshly caught, just a few hours before Mahi Mahi and Wahoo fish. We went with the Mahi, jasmine rice and steamed veggies with a caprese salad on the side. Fresh and amazingly good.

We Hung out at the bar for a drink and who shows up, the Florida group we met at Elvinas. Conversations of travels and laughter. *Travel tip: pack a smaller purse inside a larger bas so your personal carryon bag can hold your purse and more on the airplane. (this was shared by the ladies from Tampa) ... meanwhile Jeff made his own version of a bloody mary, we called it the Bloody Red eye, he used every bottle of hot sauce in the place and horshradish... we shared a bar trick with them using toothpicks we learned from a Canadian friend we met on a cruise. Then it was goodnights and farwells and once again lights out! ... and we mean LIGHTS OUT!

Day 6After some snaps for my facebook, blog and website we decided to spend our last hours snorkeling & kayaking, the weather was PERFECT, the water was smooth as glass! Of course our last day there the weather is the best, isn't it always the case. (videos on my youtube channel, Dibythesea) Did I mention how awesomely amazing this place is?

Kirk took us into his office behind the front desk and shared photos on his computer screen of his fishing adventures on his boat with his teenage boys. He also shared with us how he had knocked on our villa door the day before to offer to take us out on his boat for some fishing (that was the mahi dinner we had the night before) Really?... you don't get offers like that anywhere else! Unbelievably bummed we missed out on that.

Throughout our stay we had many interesting conversations with Kirk, their home was right next to ours we would see him crossing over on his way in our out, we would be on our deck, me on the internet of course (I caught some access from their satalite dish) He is very friendly and loves to share stories about the island, his kids growing up there for 6 years, we learned a lot and gained a nice friend too! You feel like you are in your own home away from home, staying at the Cove Resort. Every small detail has been thought about there. They even had night lights and a flashlight in the drawers.

*Travel Tip: 25% hotel tax!!! OUCH! (worth it)

Wallace Sands: Bartender, taxi driver, tour guide jack of all trades.Google him! Wallace picked us up on his day off (it was a holiday) to take us to the airport, (we ask him to be our ride back cause we wanted him to get the money, being that he was a friend) along with Rachel from Tampa, we were on the same flight out. And wouldn't you know it, when we got to the airport all the LA peeps were on the same flight as well! SMALL ISLAND! I did a last minute shopping look see at this cute gift shop called Mermades (spelled just like that) just across the road form the airport hub hoping to find a little treasure to take back to my Grandaughter Shay, and we would have liked to have brought a bottle of the Lady Di hotsauce, but we had only carry on luggage and the bottles were over the size limit for liquids. The ticketing was a breeze. They ruffle through your luggage and then you board. Farewell beautiful Eleuthera.

On a side note: We ate both out and about and at the resort and never had a bad meal! Lots of fish varieties, fresh and deep fried to choose from and of course Conch, plus steak, fresh salads, we even found pizza!. The Beer of the Bahamas is Kahlik and Sands (made in Nassau) both good.

The last night I couldn't fall asleep, my guess is that my reality there at the Cove Resort was better than my dreams!

Regrets: That we didn't manage to make it to see Spanish Wells and the Queens baths! How did that happen?and that we didn't take a photo with Kirk, Patty and their boys. :(

I WILL BE BACK and next time I'm staying in the POINT HOUSE. spectacular.

REVIEW

YOU MUST DO. Lovely experience! Wacker says:

Be sure to tell them Di by the Sea referred you!

You can read all the other 5 star reviews the Cove received on TripAdvisorLike the Cove Resort on their Facebook page

I brought along a sample of Orofulido my husband got at a hairshow. Quite similar to the Moroccan oil that I usually take with me on trips, the fragrance was a bit different but worked the same, added shine, and silkiness to my weathered hair after I had been out beaching it, snorkeling and in the sun all day. My blonde hair loves the hair oils! It saves time and keeps me looking and smelling yummy, between washes and when on the go!